


Countdown

by Life_sans_Sin



Series: With and Without [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Friendship, Maybe something more?, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, Post-Reset, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Who Knows?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:56:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13249647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_sans_Sin/pseuds/Life_sans_Sin
Summary: A date gone awry and a desire for a drink leads two new friends to run into one another outside of the only bar in the small town of Taobh, just a few hour's drive from the towering Mt. Ebott. A New Year's party and a couple cups of coffee lead to something that might give Sans faith in good things again. All starting with a countdown.[[ This is canon to With or Without, and takes place after the last posted chapter. ]]





	Countdown

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've last posted anything. This isn't a promise of posting more, since we're fixing up a house to sell and life has all but gotten in the way... but I think that, when the muse strikes up a conversation, then I'll be sure to put it to good use and write something for you all. (heart)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

He ran into her outside of a bar on New Year’s, a half hour before midnight. The look on her face was one of disappointment, and Sans couldn’t help but notice her nice sweater dress and warm leggings. ‘Must have been on a date…’ he mused to himself, less than pleased with that realization, but he cast it aside as he stepped purposefully into her path, making her stop and look up from her phone to prevent running into him.

  
“Sorry, sorr- … Sans?” Her voice was tired, but he couldn’t help but notice the little lift in it as she said his name. (It made his soul flutter briefly, but he ignored that, too.)

  
“that’s m’ name, don’t wear it out, kiddo.” She scrunched up her freckle-smattered nose a bit at the nickname but said nothing of it, locking her phone before returning it to the tan leather purse that hung from her shoulder.

  
“What are you doing out so late?”

  
“could ask you the same.” His counter made her smile a bit, a huff of laughter escaping past her lipstick-red lips.

  
“Touche… I was out on a date.” The disappointment began to return, and he didn’t even need to wait or prompt her for an answer. “It was a joke! And not a good one, either. He was only interested in one thing from the get-go, and I just…” She sighed, brushing a few long strands of auburn hair out of her face. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.”

  
Sans snorted, knowing full well that she was only 24 years old, hardly ‘too old’ for anything… but he didn’t say that.

  
“Sorry, here I am going on and on … So, what are you doing out here?” She glanced back toward the establishment she had just left, then looked to him with a quirked brow. “You weren’t going for a drink, were you?”

  
He had been, actually. Teleporting into the alley, he’d planned on grabbing a quick whiskey before picking up the party poppers Toriel had sent him for. (”No party is complete without them!”)

  
“nah, just headin’ to the store.” He pulled a hand from the pocket of his fur-lined coat to gesture at the building a few yards away. “gotta pick somethin’ up for t, then ‘m headed back to the party.”

  
“Oh, that’s nice! You guys are throwing a New Year’s party, right?”

  
He hummed his agreement, returning his hand back into the warmth of his pocket. “yeah, it’s pretty sweet. t even made a butts pie.” The strange look she gave him earned a chuckle from Sans, his grin widening the slightest bit. “butterscotch cinnamon pie. butts pie.”

  
“I won’t even ask,” she said with a roll of her eyes, smiling even as she rubbed her hands over her arms to try and keep warm. Her teeth were beginning to chatter, and Sans could see her breath in the cold winter air. “So, I should probably let you get to that, then…”

  
“yeah.”

  
The two of them stood there for a long moment, and she suddenly seemed to snap out of her reverie long enough to step aside.

  
“Right, well. See you next year, Sans.” 

  
“see ya…”

  
She stepped around him and began her walk toward the public parking lot down the street, and Sans turned on his sneaker heel to watch her go. 

  
…

  
“hey.”

  
His voice had been quiet, but she turned around immediately, stopping in her tracks and looking at him expectantly. Hope shone brightly in her forest-green eyes, and there was no way he was going to disappoint either of them.

  
“wanna come to t’s party? sure she won’t mind another guest to feed.”

  
The feeling when he watched her smile reach her eyes was one he couldn’t describe, but the warm feeling it left him with was pleasantly comforting.

 

* * *

  
  
“HUMAN, WELCOME TO THE PARTY!!”

  
She recoiled only slightly this time as Papyrus’ boisterous voice met her, and Sans counted that as progress. Most people ran away, or told him to quiet down, but not her. That was one of the many things he loved about her (even though she didn’t remember anymore, he did, and he would hold onto those memories as long as he could).

  
“Thank you!” She fixed the taller skeleton with a bright smile. “I’m really happy to- oof!” The air was knocked out of her as a child all but flew across the room and launched themselves at her waist, arms not quite reaching around, but holding on regardless. Lena looked down and, seeing Frisk there, pat them on the head. She used her free hand to sign a greeting, smile widening as the child’s excitement became apparent.

  
Frisk pulled away from Lena and began to bounce on the balls of their feet, signing rapidly.

_  
"I’m so happy that you’re here! Mom said you weren’t able to make it because you had a date!"_

  
Lena cast the matronly goat monster an embarrassed look, to which Toriel merely tittered as she began handing out party hats and poppers.

  
“Now now, my child, you mustn’t get so excited. Remember, it’s righ to bed after the ball drops!”

  
Frisk deflated a little at that, pouting slightly as they signed something to their mother. Lena looked around for Sans, who was disappearing into the kitchen. She followed after him, looking for a bit of a quieter room to be in.

  
The smell of freshly brewed coffee had taken over the kitchen, and as soon as she entered, she breathed the aroma in deeply. Humming in delight, she turned the corner and immediately began to seek out a mug. Sans watched her with a chuckle, his own cup already full of black coffee.

  
“creamer’s in th’ fridge, in th’ door.”

  
A mumbling of ‘thank you’ in a sing-song tone was all he got in response as Lena set about to making her ‘perfect’ cup of coffee. First the coffee, then the sugar, then creamer, and-

  
“here.” Sans held out a small bottle of whiskey, and Lena looked at it in surprise.

  
“How did you know…?” He merely winked, and the flush that spread across her freckled cheeks was a sight to behold. She took the bottle and poured a generous amount into her coffee before screwing the lid on, picking up her mug and holding it in both hands. She inhaled the scent deeply, then took a long, slow drink.

  
“Someday, you’re going to tell me how you seem to know me so well.”

  
‘if you only knew.’

  
“nah, ‘s just a lucky guess.” He picked up the bottle and unscrewed the cap with magic, tipping the bottle and pouring a more-than-healthy amount into his own mug. She walked over, mug in hand, and snatched the bottle out of his hand, rolling her eyes.

  
“Geez, you’re not gonna be able to taste the coffee at that rate.” Despite the ‘scolding’, a smile played at her lips, and she set the bottle on the counter. Leaning against the counter next to him, they stood side by side, shoulders almost touching, but not quite, as they silently drank their coffee. The buzz of alcohol was warm and fuzzy along her cheeks and in her head, a comforting lull as pleasant as the space between them.

  
“HERE WE GO! THE COUNTDOWN!!”

  
“10!!”

  
“Hey, Sans?”

  
“9!!”

  
“hm?”

  
“8!!”

  
“My date didn’t go well.”

  
“7!!”

  
“sorry ‘bout that.”

  
“6!!”

  
“I was hoping for a kiss at midnight…”

  
“5!!”

  
“…”

  
“4!!”  
  


“Will you…?”

  
“3!!”

  
He’s speechless, and he can see that she’s about to apologize.

  
“2!!”

  
“Sorry, I, uh… guess I just–”

  
“1!!”

  
“sure.”

  
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!!”

  
Amongst the chorus of party blowers and poppers and music playing from the television in the other room, Sans can hear his own soul beating loudly in his skull, a soft blue glow between the two of them as he leans up to press a kiss to her lips. Forgetting that she’s wearing lipstick, and that it’ll show on his teeth, not caring.

  
When they finally pull away, it’s with a chuckle from the both of them, resting their foreheads together and just breathing, just being.

  
“…Happy New Year’s, Sans,” she says as she pulls away, resumes drinking her coffee. He follows suit, trying desperately to settle the flutter of his soul as he drinks something almost as strong as his feelings.


End file.
